Making the Cliff Dive Bar

It’s Soaper’s Sunday! And this week we’re going to bring you through the making of our cliff dive bar. Don’t forget, we document all our tutorials through our Learning Library, where you can get this recipe in a downloadable pdf and the full instructions in one simple click.

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Today’s Drop Swirl Technique was inspired by the pretty coastal colors of a Mexican vacation I took several years ago. I wanted to replicate the beautiful earthy tones and how the beautiful azul shades seemed to glow in the water.

Let's get into it:

First mix your lye water. (If you are a total newbie, don't forget to check out our safety article on how to safely handle lye) Set it aside to cool.

Combine 5 oils. Your measurements will vary depending on how much you want to make.

Hint: To get you specific measurements pop these percentages into our soap calculator. You can decide for yourself if you want to make 1 lb or 3lbs. If you want this already calculated and printable, you can get these downloads for free over at the Learning Library

3. Once your lye water had cooled to a temperature within ten degrees of your oils. Mix these together with your stick blender until it is lightly emulsified. Don't over blend. You don't want trace yet.

4. Separate your batter into 2 parts white, 1 part yellow, 1 part green, 1 part blue, and 1 part brown, and color it up. (whoo-hoo)

5. Pour a layer of white along the bottom of the mold. Pour the colors in random orders in a thin stream from both high and low positions. Give your batter another layer of white, and finish pouring until all the colors are gone.

6. Give the top just a bit of swirl with a stick and let this set up for the next 24 hours.

Note: This recipe is one of my favorites for getting terrific whispy swirls. It uses a lot very light soft oils, so depending on where you live, you may want this to set for 2 - 3 days. If you cut it too soon it will softly crumble along the edges.

If you want to get a better visual on my description check out the video we made at Thermal Mermaid to demonstrate how to make this.